In a hard‑fought contest at Spartan Gym in San Jose, California, the UTEP women’s volleyball team earned its third Mountain West road victory of the season, defeating the San Jose State Spartans 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 27-25) on Thursday evening.
Key performers
Senior outside hitter Luvina Oguntimehin led the Miners with 10 kills and posted a team‑high 13.5 points. Setter Kalia Kohler directed the offense, recording a team‑best 21 assists. Defensively, freshman libero Lily‑Rose Pichon contributed a team‑high 12 digs, while senior outside hitter Lauren Perry added two service aces.
At the net, Oguntimehin and middle blocker Landry Braziel each tallied five total blocks, including two solo blocks apiece, helping the Miners accumulate 11 blocks for the match.
Statistical edge
UTEP held advantages in several critical categories. The Miners posted six service aces to San Jose State’s five and out‑blocked the Spartans 11‑8. Offensively, UTEP hit .238, while the Spartans were limited to a .187 attacking percentage.
San Jose State showed slight leads in kills (52‑48), assists (51‑41) and digs (53‑42), but the Miners’ balanced play proved decisive.
Set‑by‑set recap
First set: UTEP opened strong, pulling ahead 25‑21 after a series of ties and lead changes. Key kills from junior outside hitter Ema Uskokovic and Oguntimehin turned an 18‑19 deficit into a 24‑20 advantage, with Pichon sealing the set.
Second set: The Spartans rallied, edging UTEP 25‑23. After building a 20‑15 lead, San Jose State responded with a 9‑3 run to close the set, despite UTEP’s 14 kills and .300 hitting percentage.
Third set: UTEP regained control, winning 25‑20. Freshman outside hitter Sydney Frazier sparked the set after entering the lineup, and Oguntimehin’s late kills cemented the victory. The Spartans were held to a .047 hitting percentage.
Fourth set: The decisive set featured dramatic swings. UTEP led by as many as six points, but San Jose State battled back to tie the score at 22‑all. After a series of tightly contested points, Frazier’s block gave UTEP match point, and the Miners closed the set 27‑25 to complete the road triumph.
Looking ahead
The Miners improve to 14‑9 overall and 6‑5 in Mountain West play. They will face the Spartans again on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. MT in the series finale, which will be streamed live on the MW+ platform.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
